Tracking and measuring the speed of rotation of rotating machinery, such as fans and motors, has a number of important applications. For example, speed measurements may be utilized in detecting and analyzing fault conditions of the machinery, such as a machine that is not balanced or aligned due to wear, misuse, uneven load, foreign matter accumulation, etc. Likewise cracks in machinery or other faults may be discovered by vibration analysis and speed measurement is used to analyze vibration. To accurately monitor machinery, speed measurements are needed that are reliable, accurate, verifiable and sufficiently resolved (e.g., sampling speed) for the particular application.
This invention is a method and apparatus for detecting and measuring the speed of rotation of machinery that provides detailed, accurate data that may be verified, manipulated and analyzed.